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Madison Levine - 2013 Academic Excellence Awardee

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Madison Levine - 2013 Academic Excellence Awardee

Congratulations to Madison Levine who has been awarded The Academic Excellence Award in Communication Studies for 2013. The award is given to a student who has demonstrated thoughtful engagement in the classroom environment, excels in written and/or oral assignments, and is among the highest GPAs of graduating seniors. Madison will be attending USD Law School in the fall. Here are her reflections:

“As I finish the last month of my undergraduate career and start to prepare for law school, I look back to see what I got out of being a communication major. Throughout the four years, I recall having an abundance of communication projects, which I do actually miss. Does that make me a nerd? Probably. These projects were mostly fascinating, some not so much, but all of them have benefited me in one way or another.

Let’s start with public speaking, the most terrifying subject matter to me. Speeches really put me to the test and pushed me out of my comfort zone, but they are so important for any profession. Professor Ghio not only made this fun and as painless as possible but he also taught us the importance of constructing a message, enunciating, choosing topics relevant to the audience, and looking confident and owning it even when your face turns red and you begin to shake. It is amazing all the information you simply learn from listening to your classmates during those speeches.

Another communication project that stands out to me now is the uncertainty reduction video two classmates and I made for intro to human communication theory. I called it pranking for a purpose. For this project our group placed caution tape on stairs around campus and took notes on how students reacted. We had the opportunity to personally experience a theory we were learning, and this is why I will never forget it.

Lastly, I want to thank all the media professors who have now ruined my ability to watch television mindlessly. As I sit on the couch and turn on the television, no matter if it is the news or the latest television drama, I am not just wasting brain cells but truly scrutinizing the media, from various class perspectives: media processes and effects, media and conflict, and communication criticism. I truly appreciate all the research papers we were assigned in regards to analyzing media. I have become more critical about what is presented to me and how things are represented. I genuinely feel that this is one of the best skills I have learned as a communication major because this doesn’t just apply to the media, but to all messages presented to me. This will be a great asset for law school.”